Deborah Adele - The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice

Advance Praise for The Yamas & Niyamas

Beyond moral precepts, the yamas and niyamas are guidelines for living a healthy life. With the voice of a storyteller, Deborah Adele brings this ancient wisdom to light with modern tales common to us all. This is the behavior we need for a sustainable world.~ Anodea Judith, Ph.D., Author of Eastern Body-Western Mind and Waking the Global Heart, www.SacredCenters.com

The Yamas & Niyamas is a great book. It is one that I have been looking for, for a long time. Deborahs style is fresh and truthful, her writing inviting and inspiring, and her suggestions for integrating the concepts into life - downright simple. Youll learn a lot from this book and along the way youll have fun exploring yourself. ~ Susi Hately Aldous, BSc., yoga teacher, founder of Functional Synergy Yoga Therapy and author of Anatomy and Asana and The Art of Slowing Down, www.anatomyandasana.com

After reading The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice , I wanted to return all my other books to the shelf and just practice these teachings. The insights that Deborah Adele draws from yogas ethical guidelines have helped me to better understand my Christian faith. I am buying a copy of this book for each and every member of my prayer groups.~ Rev. Douglas Dirks, Abilene, Texas

Compassionate, lively, and wise, The Yamas & Niyamas provides a portal into a recognition beyond tradition; a living way to relate from our highest vibratory level into our present world, regardless of cultural or religious background. Like the Tao expresses itself as yin and yang, these restraints and observances are presented as the swinging doors into the unconditional, liberating us from the bonds of our day to day stressors and uniting us with the One truth for which we all hunger. It fed me.~ Randine Lewis, MSOM, L.Ac., Ph.D., Founder of The Fertile Soul, Author of The Infertility Cure and The Way of The Fertile Soul, www.thefertilesoul.com

Deborahs book, The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice , really brings these jewels to the light and to the world. As a yoga teacher I have been looking for something for my students that can lead them to join me in a life-long love affair with the yamas and niyamas and this is it! ~ Dharmi Cunningham, owner Turning Light Studio, N. Yarmouth, Maine, www.turninglight.org

Deborah Adele has written a jewel of a book. In this volume, we find not only the practical insights of classical yoga, but simultaneously the deep wisdom, subtlety, and joyfulness that these practices produce. The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice is a must read for anyone interested in spiritual wisdom. ~ Phil Nuernberger, Ph.D., Author of The Warrior Sage and Strong and Fearless: The Quest for Personal Power, www.mindmaster.com

The Yamas & Niyamas:

Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice

by Deborah Adele

On-Word Bound Books, LLC

publishing & media ~ Duluth, Minnesota

The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yogas Ethical Practice

Copyright 2009 by Deborah Adele

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by:
On-Word Bound Books LLC / 26 East Superior Street #402
Duluth, Minnesota 55802 / www.onwordboundbooks.com

Fonts in the printed book & pdf book:
Main text: Adobe Garamond Pro
Titles and quotes: Shangri La and Rowen Oak by Nicks Fonts - http://www.nicksfonts.com

Fonts in the Epub & Kindle versions:
All text: Adobe Garamond Pro

Haikus written by Catharine Larsen

Sanskrit resources were found on-line at the following websites:

http://learn-sanskrit.com:80/8limbs.htm

http://www.avashy.com/hindiscripttutor.htm

http://www.americansanskrit.com

Sanskrit illustrated by Sara Duke and approved by Vyaas Houston of the American Sanskrit Institute.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Adele, Deborah, 1949

The yamas & niyamas : exploring yogas ethical practice / by Deborah Adele

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9744706-8-9 (Kindle)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9744706-9-6 (Epub)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9744706-5-8 (PDF)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9744706-4-1 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 0-9744706-4-3 (pbk.)

1. Yoga. 2. Ethics. 3. Conduct of life. I. Title. II. Title: The yamas and niyamas.

BJ123.Y64A34 2009

181.45--dc22

2008032793

Dedicated to:

Yogiraj Achala

who made these ten guidelines come alive in my life,

and to all sentient beings

whom I hope will benefit from this exploration.

Acknowledgments

A book is never written in a vacuum; I have been humbled by this truth. To all of those whose participation made this book a reality, my deepest love and gratitude; your voices are contained within these pages as well as in my heart.

Deepest gratitude to the sages and teachers who sit within the yogic tradition, whose selfless sharing of the richness of the yogic tradition with the West has brought a new sense of awareness, balance, and opportunity to Western consciousness. My prayer is that we in the West are worthy of the gift and can use this wisdom for the broader scope of humanity and the earth.

Deepest gratitude to Yogiraj Achala whose love and teaching have given me pieces of myself.

Deepest gratitude to Vyaas Houston of the American Sanskrit Institute for his generous guidance crafting Sanskrit characters. His character is impeccable and his love for Sanskrit is both moving and inspiring. Please check out the opportunities available to you at www.americansanskrit.com.

Gratitude to Catharine Larsen for sharing her insights and creativity in the beautiful Haikus which begin each chapter. The book is richer for them.

Deepest gratitude to my friend and business partner Ann Maxwell, who embodies these guidelines. Although the words of this book are mostly mine, they come from our work together over our years as business partners and represent the thoughts and experience of both of us. Throughout the book you will hear the purity of her voice and the boldness with which she lives her life. We have a partnership that we have consciously chosen to base on practicing these guidelines with one another; this choice has kept us fresh and pertinent.

Gratitude to Jill Pospisil whose support, editorial comments and tireless research gave clarity and integrity to this book. Gratitude to Phil Nuernberger, Ph.D., whose constant support and encouragement kept me on task; Phil has been a significant teacher in my life. Gratitude to the Rev. Douglas Dirks, Dharmi Cunningham, and Ron Johnson who were kind enough to read, encourage, and give direction to the pages of this book; their willingness and love was a strong foundation and impetus for writing.

Thank you to Brooks and Coral Anderson who generously provided rustic cabin space on Lake Superior where the silence could render the writing of this book. Thanks also to Nancy Hanson-Bergstrom and John Bergstrom, Catharine and Lauren Larsen and to Ron Johnson who shared their homes as writing space for me.

Thank you to the publishers, Sara Duke and David Devere, whose clarity, ideas, and love of books kept me encouraged and inspired. They have made this process a fun and creative adventure; I am grateful that they took the risk.

Thank you to Michelle Skally Doilney and Debbie Nuernberger, who gave me permission to shut my door and write.

Gratitude to the amazing community of people who practice and learn at Yoga North Studio in Duluth, Minnesota; their strong dedication and commitment has deeply touched my heart.